Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-05-05
A Sleighride Fifty Years Ago.

"A Nlelglflue fllCy ledrS Ago.
Mrs. Harris, or Widow Harris, as
she was usually called, lived in the
outskirts of the village OF BIN little
| low, wood-colored louise. Since the
death of her husband, which occurred
soon after they had come to this place
to live, she had supported herself by
going around among families OF the
town as nurse, seamstress, or to u.s.
sist at weddings, parties and funerals.
This itinerant sort OF life had given
her an opportunity to become &C.
quainted with much Of the family his
tory OF the people OF B.. She could
give the exact date OF most of the
births, marriages and deaths that &C.
Cured in the town within the last
twenty years. But now she was too
old to 60 about in this way, and was
glad to get work to do at home, and
was usually busy making rugs or
weaving carpets.
The widow was sitting by the fire,
one pleasant winter day, knitting on
a red mitten, when there came q rap
at her door. Fastening to open it.,
she found pretty girl waiting for ad-
mission.
Come right in, Helen" she said, 81
am proper glad to see you. Now you
must take your things right off," she
continued, as Helen Weston stepped
into the kitchen, "for you have come
after Wellie's mittens and they amt
quite done" ... D
Yes" said Helen, "mother asko d
me to come and get the mittens. She
thought they would be finished"
"Well. Ishould have had them done,
but Mrs. Brown sent in last night for
me to make her some cough syrup.
Shes got an awful cough, and spent
all the evening fusslng VII h it, but /
can finish them in an hour"
"Oh, ! don't mind waiting" said
Helen, seating herself in nice, old
fashioned rocking chair by the hre,
while Tim, the great tortoiseshell cat,
purred out his content on the rug at
her feet.
The widow Harris was a favorite
with the young people of the village.
They enjoyed going to see her, and
| they were sure to be treated to n
lunch of election cake, seed cakes,
or long, spicy, twisted doughnuts.
But best of all were her stories. Such
nice old fashioned stories about we'd
dngs, huskings, apple bees, and all
kinds o. country frolics.
Alter Helen had answered Mrs. Har-
ris' inquiries, as far as she knew, in
regard to the health and general news
OF the village, she said, Now, Mrs.
Harris, please tell me one OF your nice
stories"
"Bless your heart, dear, seems to
me have told you all the stories ]
know"
30, am sure you haven't, if you
will only think"
"Well, | made some election cake
this morning, and while you are eat.
ing some will see what can think
of to tell you," and Mrs. Harris went
into the pantry, returning with a plate
of cake. which she placed on the stan I
near Helen, telling her to hel p herself.
Let me see-I have told you about
Mary Goodwir's wedding, and Mis-.
Wells house.warming, haven't I?''
said Mrs. Harris, as she took up her
knitting again.
Yes you told me those stories when
/ was here one day last summer"
81 guess shall have to tell you
about the sIeighride we had over in
Chester, when | was girl. l was
thinking about it this morning. 1t
happened more than fifty years ago,
but / remember about it just as if it
was last week" ...-...........
1.-The young folks in the village had
been planning ever since snow came to
have sleighride down to Morse's tav'
ern, that was about ten miles from
Chester, and have a supper and dance
The time was set to go about the mid
die of January, when there would bt
full moon.
1--WE girls had great time fixing ur
something to wear, but, dear me, we
did not have things as girls do now
There were not many OF us who had
anything better than homespun, with
out it was Nancy Holmes. She had
SEINE money. She was an orphan
When her folks died she came to Ches
ter to live with her cousin, Squire
Bassett, who was her guardian. She
had two boughten calico gowns, and
a beautiful green Canton Grape, and q
beaver bonnet with q long plume on it
Squire Bassett was the richest
man in town. He lived in o great
two-story house, painted white, anG
such a beautiful garden, iull OF roses
and peonies, hollyhocks and pinks
| and there were currant and goose
berry bushes, and all kinds of herbs
parsley, caraway, coriander, sage
and summer savory, and q great or
chard stretched away up the hill bach
OF the house. 1t was fixel up nice in
side the house, too, tor those days
The parlor walls were STAINED yellow
With border OF flowers done with
black paint, and there was an Englisl
carpet, the only one in town, and Q
sofa, and in the Fireplace stood some
great brass andirons, but the parlol
wasn't any better according than thu
rest OF the house. 1t was full of every
thing nice. Mrs. Bassett kept CIR
| spinning flax all the time, and sucl
| piles o. towels, table and bed linen al
she had. Iguess you will think an
never going to gyt to the sleighride
but | am comfy, toit."
"Oh, ] enjoy Nearing about the way
they lived so long ago. IL must have
been 'un to spin on those little ilaS
wheels. Mother has one in the attic
now, that was grandma's.'